Skills
Urban Planner Skills & Tools
The technical skills, people skills and tools employers look for in urban planners, and how to build and show them.
What skills do urban planners need?
Urban Planners need technical skills such as land use planning, zoning, and gis, plus people skills like communication and negotiation. They also use tools such as ArcGIS and AutoCAD.
Technical (hard) skills
- Land use planning
- Zoning
- GIS
- Data analysis
- Policy writing
- Public engagement
People (soft) skills
- Communication
- Negotiation
- Facilitation
- Problem solving
Tools, equipment and technology
- ArcGIS
- AutoCAD
- Census and demographic data
- Spreadsheets
- Presentation software
- Survey tools
Skills in action: common tasks
These step-by-step guides show how urban planners put their skills to work:
How to show these skills on a resume
- Lead your skills section with the technical skills from the job posting, for example, “Land use planning” and “Zoning.”
- Prove soft skills with results: instead of listing “communication,” describe a situation where you used it.
- List credentials such as AICP certification near the top, with the issuing organization and date.
- Use the employer’s vocabulary. Our urban planner glossary covers the terms hiring managers expect.
How to build these skills
Formal training, supervised practice and certification are the most direct routes. Our Urban Planner training introduces each of these skills with plain-language lessons, procedures and a final knowledge check: a strong foundation before hands-on training or your first day.